{ "id": "epk3n7yte6", "slug": "he-loves-me-he-loves-me-not", "title": "He Loves Me... He Loves Me Not", "updated": "2026-11-01", "topic_path": [ { "id": "culture", "label": "Arts and culture", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture" }, { "id": "culture.performance", "label": "Screen and stage", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen", "label": "Film and television", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.films", "label": "Films and standalone screen works", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.films" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works", "label": "Individual films by title and year", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.drama-biographical", "label": "Drama and biographical films (individual works)", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.drama-biographical" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.drama-biographical.drama-films-2000s", "label": "Drama films 2000s", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.drama-biographical.drama-films-2000s" }, { "id": "culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.drama-biographical.drama-films-2000s.romantic-drama-films-2000s", "label": "Romantic drama films 2000s", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/topics/culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.drama-biographical.drama-films-2000s.romantic-drama-films-2000s" } ], "geo": [ { "id": "geo.weu.t2001.culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.drama-biographical.drama-films-2000s", "label": "Western Europe · 2001 to 2020: Drama films 2000s", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.weu.t2001.culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.drama-biographical.drama-films-2000s", "path": [ { "id": "geo.weu", "label": "Western Europe", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.weu" }, { "id": "geo.weu.t2001", "label": "Western Europe · 2001 to 2020", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.weu.t2001" }, { "id": "geo.weu.t2001.culture", "label": "Arts and culture", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.weu.t2001.culture" }, { "id": "geo.weu.t2001.culture.performance", "label": "Screen and stage", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.weu.t2001.culture.performance" }, { "id": "geo.weu.t2001.culture.performance.screen", "label": "Film and television", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.weu.t2001.culture.performance.screen" }, { "id": "geo.weu.t2001.culture.performance.screen.films", "label": "Films and standalone screen works", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.weu.t2001.culture.performance.screen.films" }, { "id": "geo.weu.t2001.culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works", "label": "Individual films by title and year", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.weu.t2001.culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works" }, { "id": "geo.weu.t2001.culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.drama-biographical", "label": "Drama and biographical films (individual works)", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.weu.t2001.culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.drama-biographical" }, { "id": "geo.weu.t2001.culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.drama-biographical.drama-films-2000s", "label": "Drama films 2000s", "api_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/api/v1/geo/geo.weu.t2001.culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.drama-biographical.drama-films-2000s" } ] } ], "excerpt": "He Loves Me... He Loves Me Not (À la folie... pas du tout) is a 2002 French psychological thriller, Laetitia Colombani's debut feature, starring Audrey Tautou as Angélique, an art student whose delusional obsession with a married cardiologist is retold from his perspective.", "snippet": "He Loves Me... He Loves Me Not (À la folie... pas du tout) is a 2002 French psychological thriller, Laetitia Colombani's debut feature, starring Audrey Tautou as Angélique, an art student whose delusional obsession with a married cardiologist is retold from his perspective.", "node": "culture.performance.screen.films.films.individual-works.drama-biographical.drama-films-2000s.romantic-drama-films-2000s", "markdown": "# He Loves Me... He Loves Me Not\n\n**He Loves Me... He Loves Me Not** (French: *À la folie... pas du tout*) is a 2002 French psychological thriller directed by Laetitia Colombani, in which a young art student's seemingly romantic affair with a married cardiologist is retold from his point of view, revealing her delusional obsession. It was Colombani's first feature film and starred [Audrey Tautou](https://www.edgepedia.org/audrey-tautou), Samuel Le Bihan, Isabelle Carré, Sophie Guillemin, and Clément Sibony.[1](https://cineuropa.org/en/film/1795/)\n\n| Key fact | Detail |\n|---|---|\n| Original title | *À la folie... pas du tout*; international title *He Loves Me... He Loves Me Not*[1](https://cineuropa.org/en/film/1795/) |\n| Director / writers | Laetitia Colombani (director, co-screenplay with Caroline Thivel); producer Charles Gassot, Téléma[1](https://cineuropa.org/en/film/1795/) |\n| Lead cast | Audrey Tautou (Angélique), Samuel Le Bihan (Loïc), Isabelle Carré (Rachel)[1](https://cineuropa.org/en/film/1795/) |\n| French release | 27 March 2002, distributed by UGC Distribution[1](https://cineuropa.org/en/film/1795/) |\n| US release | 14 February 2003, PG-13, IDP Distribution, gross $1.0 million[2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/he_loves_me_he_loves_me_not) |\n| Critical scores | Metascore 63 from 25 reviews; Tomatometer 71% from 73 reviews; audience score 84%[3](https://www.metacritic.com/movie/he-loves-me-he-loves-me-not/) • [2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/he_loves_me_he_loves_me_not) |\n| Runtime | 100 minutes in France; the US version runs 1 h 32 m[1](https://cineuropa.org/en/film/1795/) • [2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/he_loves_me_he_loves_me_not) |\n\n## Spoilers\n\n### Plot and structure\n\nThe film opens as a romance. Angélique (Audrey Tautou), a student at the Beaux-Arts in Bordeaux, is passionately in love with Loïc (Samuel Le Bihan), a married cardiologist whose wife Rachel (Isabelle Carré) is expecting their first child. Angélique believes Loïc will leave his wife and tries to break up the couple; after Rachel miscarries, the couple separates, but Loïc does not come to Angélique.[1](https://cineuropa.org/en/film/1795/) • [4](https://www.garance-patrimoine.fr/l/8002902)\n\n**The reversal.** Halfway through, the film returns to its beginning and replays the same events from Loïc's perspective, showing a much darker version of each scene. In this second half, Angélique is revealed to suffer from erotomania, a delusional obsession with a man who does not actually know she exists.[5](https://www.salon.com/2003/02/19/colombani/) Critics compared the device to *Rashomon* and *Run Lola Run*, and to the nonlinear storytelling of *[Memento](https://www.edgepedia.org/memento-film)* and *The Sixth Sense*.[5](https://www.salon.com/2003/02/19/colombani/) • [6](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0291579/criticreviews/)\n\n## Production\n\nColombani wrote the screenplay as a thesis assignment at her university, on the subject of madness in movies. After hearing about erotomania on a television program, she chose it as the film's psychological basis. She entered the script in a contest and sent it to a producer; six months later she began shooting the film with Tautou, who had just starred in *Amélie*.[5](https://www.salon.com/2003/02/19/colombani/) Tautou was cast deliberately against the sweetheart image from that film.[7](https://etd.ohiolink.edu/acprod/odb_etd/ws/send_file/send?accession=ohiou1438771690&disposition=inline)\n\nThe crew included cinematographer Pierre Aïm, editor Véronique Parnet, art director Jean-Marc Kerdelhue, and composer Jérôme Coullet.[1](https://cineuropa.org/en/film/1795/) Production companies included Téléma, TF1 Films Production, and TPS Cinéma, with support from the Conseil Régional d'[Aquitaine](https://www.edgepedia.org/aquitaine); the film was shot in Bordeaux in the [Nouvelle-Aquitaine](https://www.edgepedia.org/nouvelle-aquitaine) region.[3](https://www.metacritic.com/movie/he-loves-me-he-loves-me-not/) • [8](https://www.filmfrance.net/films/a-la-folie-pas-du-tout/)\n\n## Release and reception\n\nThe film opened in France on 27 March 2002 and rolled out across Europe through 2002 and 2003, reaching Belgium, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Spain, the United Kingdom, and other territories.[1](https://cineuropa.org/en/film/1795/) In Spain it was certified on 31 October 2002 and released on 8 November 2002, selling 21,672 admissions for a gross of €99,175.05.[9](https://sede.mcu.gob.es/CatalogoICAA/en-us/Peliculas/Detalle?Pelicula=109902) The US release followed on 14 February 2003, timed to [Valentine's Day](https://www.edgepedia.org/valentines-day), through IDP Distribution.[2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/he_loves_me_he_loves_me_not) • [6](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0291579/criticreviews/)\n\n**Critical response.** On Metacritic the film scored 63 from 25 critics, categorized as generally favorable, with 16 positive, 6 mixed, and 3 negative reviews; its user score was 8.0 from 9 ratings.[3](https://www.metacritic.com/movie/he-loves-me-he-loves-me-not/) Rotten Tomatoes recorded 71% from 73 critics and 84% from more than 10,000 audience ratings, with a critics consensus noting that the film \"puts Tautou's sweetheart Amelie image to good use.\"[2](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/he_loves_me_he_loves_me_not) Reviewers singled out the casting: Mick LaSalle of the [San Francisco Chronicle](https://www.edgepedia.org/san-francisco-chronicle) called it \"an acerbic examination of erotic obsession, told from different perspectives, with wit, suspense and cold-blooded detachment,\" while the Washington Post's Michael O'Sullivan found it \"deeply creepy and richly satisfying.\"[3](https://www.metacritic.com/movie/he-loves-me-he-loves-me-not/) Negative reviews included the [New York Post](https://www.edgepedia.org/new-york-post)'s 25 score, which called the film \"a sugar cube laced with arsenic,\" and a [TV Guide](https://www.edgepedia.org/tv-guide) review arguing the story was not interesting enough to be told twice.[3](https://www.metacritic.com/movie/he-loves-me-he-loves-me-not/) On AlloCiné, French press and audience averages both stood at 2.9 out of 5.[10](https://www.allocine.fr/film/fichefilm_gen_cfilm%3D39132.html)\n\nThe film later reached home video in the United States through First Run Features, whose reviewer noted that it \"never quite attracted the audience it deserved in theatrical release.\"[11](https://theindependentcritic.com/he_loves_me___he_loves_me_not)\n\n## Legacy\n\nThe film established Colombani, who went on to direct and to write the best-selling 2017 novel *The Braid*, later adapted to film.[12](https://www.original-cin.ca/posts/2024/1/16/original-cin-qampa-how-director-laetitia-colombanis-novel-the-braid-returned-her-to-the-screen) It is frequently cited as an example of unreliable narration on screen, in which the camera's perspective is later shown to be deceptive.[5](https://www.salon.com/2003/02/19/colombani/)\n\nThe title has also been used for unrelated works, including Robin Mayhall's 2013 graphic novel in the My Boyfriend Is a Monster series and Aimee Brown's 2023 romance novel.[13](https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/robin-mayhall/he-loves-me-he-loves-me-not/) • [14](https://www.publishersweekly.com/9781804268070)\n\n## References\n\n1. [He Loves Me... He Loves Me Not (À la folie... Pas du tout), Cineuropa](https://cineuropa.org/en/film/1795/)\n2. [He Loves Me... He Loves Me Not, Rotten Tomatoes](https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/he_loves_me_he_loves_me_not)\n3. [He Loves Me... He Loves Me Not Reviews, Metacritic](https://www.metacritic.com/movie/he-loves-me-he-loves-me-not/)\n4. [À la folie, pas du tout, Garance Patrimoine](https://www.garance-patrimoine.fr/l/8002902)\n5. [\"It's a game between the director and the spectator\", Salon, 19 February 2003](https://www.salon.com/2003/02/19/colombani/)\n6. [He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not (2002), Metacritic reviews via IMDb](https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0291579/criticreviews/)\n7. [Feature debut À la folie… pas du tout, OhioLINK ETD](https://etd.ohiolink.edu/acprod/odb_etd/ws/send_file/send?accession=ohiou1438771690&disposition=inline)\n8. [A la folie… pas du tout, Film France CNC](https://www.filmfrance.net/films/a-la-folie-pas-du-tout/)\n9. [ICAA Film Data, Spanish Ministry of Culture](https://sede.mcu.gob.es/CatalogoICAA/en-us/Peliculas/Detalle?Pelicula=109902)\n10. [À la folie... pas du tout, AlloCiné](https://www.allocine.fr/film/fichefilm_gen_cfilm%3D39132.html)\n11. [\"He Loves Me...He Loves Me Not\" Released by First Run Features, The Independent Critic](https://theindependentcritic.com/he_loves_me___he_loves_me_not)\n12. [Original-Cin Q&A with Laetitia Colombani](https://www.original-cin.ca/posts/2024/1/16/original-cin-qampa-how-director-laetitia-colombanis-novel-the-braid-returned-her-to-the-screen)\n13. [He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not by Robin Mayhall, Kirkus Reviews](https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/robin-mayhall/he-loves-me-he-loves-me-not/)\n14. [He Loves Me, He Loves Me Not by Aimee Brown, Publishers Weekly](https://www.publishersweekly.com/9781804268070)\n\n---\n*Topic: Encyclopedia › Arts and culture › Screen and stage › Film and television › Films and standalone screen works › Individual films by title and year › Drama and biographical films (individual works) › Drama films 2000s › Romantic drama films 2000s*\n\n*Initially written Oct 3, 2026 · Reviewed: Oct 25, 2026 · Edited: Oct 15, 2026; Oct 25, 2026; Nov 1, 2026 · Last review: Oct 25, 2026*\n\n*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*\n\nLicense: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license\n", "same_as": [], "url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/he-loves-me-he-loves-me-not", "markdown_url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/he-loves-me-he-loves-me-not.md", "license": { "name": "Edgepedia Community License 1.0", "url": "https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license", "summary": "Free with credit, commercial use included. AI training is open to everyone. For other uses, organizations over USD 100M in revenue or 100M monthly users license separately.", "spdx": "LicenseRef-Edgepedia-Community-1.0" }, "credit": "\"He Loves Me... He Loves Me Not\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/he-loves-me-he-loves-me-not. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.", "credit_md": "\"[He Loves Me... He Loves Me Not](https://www.edgepedia.org/he-loves-me-he-loves-me-not)\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), [https://www.edgepedia.org/he-loves-me-he-loves-me-not](https://www.edgepedia.org/he-loves-me-he-loves-me-not). [Edgepedia Community License 1.0](https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license).", "credit_html": "\"He Loves Me... He Loves Me Not\", Edgepedia (EdgeChat), https://www.edgepedia.org/he-loves-me-he-loves-me-not. Edgepedia Community License 1.0.", "speakable": "He Loves Me..." }